Which organization began official planning for the United States' America250 celebration in 2016?

The United States Semiquincentennial Commission began official planning for the United States' America250 celebration in 2016.

Congress created the commission to promote and coordinate observances of the 250th anniversary of American independence. Its work connected federal agencies, members of Congress, private citizens and state-level organizers preparing programs for 2026.

The commission is commonly associated with the name America250, but America250 is not the formal name of the congressional body. That distinction matters because the America250 Foundation and other partners also used the brand while working on public engagement and fundraising. The commission itself is the congressionally appointed organization responsible for national coordination.

The commission’s first organizing meeting took place at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on November 16, 2018. Its membership originally included private citizens, members of Congress and federal officials. A 2020 law expanded the number of nonvoting federal officials, bringing the body’s total membership to 36.